How Is Social Media Ruining Your Mental Health?

In our ever-evolving world, there has been a significant change in almost every field. From the advancements in aquatic technology to the enigma of a devouring black hole, the swiftly pace of transformation is remarkable. “To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,” the Third Law of motion bears its resemblance from the intricacy of nature. This law reminds us that every modification has advantages and disadvantages. Social media could be thought of as such an example.

SOCIAL MEDIA: BRIDGING GAPS… OR BUILDING WALLS? While social media may initially seem as sweet and pleasurable as honey, it can be likened to a slow poison. Many are so lost in indulging in the pleasure that they are unable to extricate themselves from it. We don’t realize that we are unwittingly drawn towards the algorithms. Due to these mere algorithms, we exacerbate the gaps between us and our kins. We tend to become attached to the things we see — navigating through others’ posts, scrolling reels, chasing cheap and instant dopamine, pondering if we could have a life as wonderful as those portrayed by others. Yet in reality, this is merely an act of escapism. At the end of the day, it’s just us brimming with regrets and guilt. This cycle continues every day. Social media kills our creativity. Social media has conquered our minds; it has manipulated us into thinking in a negative way, manufacturing false misconceptions into our minds. The world is constantly telling us that the path to a better life is more, more, more — buy more, own more, make more, be more. We are constantly bombarded with messages to give attention to everything, all the time. The key to a good life is not giving attention to more; it’s giving attention to less, giving attention to only what is true and crucial. The addiction of social media results in several troublesome behaviors, some of which are listed below:

HERD MENTALITY We tend to seek comfort with fitting in with the interests of others. This is what I like to refer to as “Herd Mentality.” Basically, this individual seeks validation and acceptance from others, often changing their opinions to align with the group’s expectations, and they always want to follow the latest trends, even if it means abandoning their own preferences or values to fit in with what’s popular. For instance, a person agrees to go along with plans they don’t enjoy because they don’t want to disappoint their friends. Nonetheless, herd mentality was most useful in the Paleolithic Age; when the food gatherers discovered the ways to create tools out of stone, other food gatherers had to follow their way because they knew no other way to gather basic necessities. But now, we have innumerable options and choices. Why is there an urge to follow the herd mentality?

THE WANDERING MIND IS AN UNHAPPY MIND An experiment was conducted in 2010 by Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert; this experiment supports the theory that a human mind is a wandering mind. The database cites that about 2250 adults were randomly assigned to answer a series of questions: “How are you feeling right now?”, “What are you doing right now?”, and “Are you thinking about something other than what you’re currently doing?” This experiment emphasizes that people’s minds wandered frequently, regardless of what they were doing and the tendency for unnecessary thoughts to make us unhappy. In conclusion, a human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind.

CONCLUSION However, social media can’t establish dominance over our decisions. We can choose to remove social media. It’s hard but not impossible, right? Therefore, one must ponder before it’s too late to take proactive steps to safeguard mankind. We should remember that we don’t always control what happens to us. But we always control how we interpret what happens to us, as well as how we respond.